Tending the Eclectic Kinder-Garden

…but welcome just the same! Rain- that wonderful stuff that helps the grass and flowers grow- is appreciated here this weekend. Not for the foliage though- for the DIRT. Steady rain keeps the sand, grit, and dust out of our eyes when the wind picks up, and friends, the wind blows hard enough here to make the desert dirt an incredibly painful exfoliant!

This weather makes for a great BAKING day!

Cookies and pecan nummies for friends and neighbors:

…with some quick crochet while each batch bakes in the oven:

The squares will be for a new afghan, while the scarf was made with left over baby yarn…I was trying out a new design, one that leaves an opening in the scarf to pull the tail through after you’ve wrapped it around your neck a few times…I like the design.  I don’t like the scarf in this baby yarn.  Winter time will probably see me making more with some softer, prettier yarn.

Cookies are done!  Now to make oatmeal raisin!

I’ve been doing “the mom thing” today. All day.

I’m going on a trip on Friday- a*four day* trip- back to Oz to see friends, their new babies, and do some treasure hunting. Yes, only four days. Get there on Friday afternoon, and leave around Monday, lunchtime. But to visit Oz, I am leaving my dear husband, my thirteen year old daughter, my toddler son, and my cat here in the Bordertown. For four days. Without moi. So the “mom thing” that I’ve been doing has included:

~anticipating any and all grocery needs/emergencies/cravings

~ shopping for said groceries

~making sure the laundry is done

~making sure Daughter puts all of her school and social activities on the calendar

~making sure Daddy knows to *check the calendar* in case he has to pick her up from school (and he WILL have to)

~ watering the plants

~ and any other housecleaning-type-jobs that I just won’t feel good about leaving undone before leaving.

So when do I pack? When do I figure out what toiletries to take, clothes, shoes, etc? Eh, the night before. Packing doesn’t stress me out- I’ve told friends I’m not a “panic packer.” If I forget something, I know how to stop at a store to correct the situation. No, what to wear, what to bring, how much room I’ll have to bring stuff home…these things don’t bother me.

Imagining the state of disarray the house will be in upon my return…THAT bothers me. While secretly grateful that my husband will have a smidgen of a taste of what I’ve done for years while he’s been TDY or deployed, I still know Daughter will end up taking up the slack. A lot of it. The toddler has entered a Destructo-Mode recently, requiring much more hands-on time, and exponentially more clean-up time, and the cat has begun to feel more comfortable expressing her displeasure with the boy whenever he chases her under the beds or couches. I fear the phone calls I’m going to receive. I’ve had nightmares for the last two nights in a row. I know, I’m over-reacting, but hey, it’s “the mom thing.”

More “mom thing” related documentation:

Daughter’s Valentine Treat Bags are almost done (just need cookies and the pecan/rolo/pretzel nummies added, then bows tied on), as are her cards:

Cookies? What cookies? Oh yeah, I need to make cookies! Red and pink sugar was added later:

While cleaning out the fridge, I found a lone pie dough roll…oh darn, I guess that means I’ll just *have* to make date and marmalade pastries:

For a pick-me-up, I enjoyed a snack, er, “taste test” of the cookies:

…and then right as I was wandering back toward Worrysville, darling husband appeared with these:

Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t worry about him, the kids, and the cat…

Maybe.

Tags: crafts, family, military life

We’re keeping our fingers crossed that the candy heart/rolo/pretzel combo works out as well as the pecan/rolo/pretzel nummies always do…because we ran out of pecans!

They are *cute* though…

Though it’s a bit of a murky Monday, today has still been rather productive. Laundry is just about done, the kitchen is clean, February decor is up (photos on a sunnier day), and one baby blanket is on its way to its new owner.

I still need to make “thank you” cookies for my daughter’s friend today. With her help during the “ball experiment,” our girl managed to produce a science report that has earned a presentation slot at the district Science Fair held on the college campus here in town. Yay! Internet Hoax Cookies will work wonderfully, remember those? If you haven’t tried the recipe, file it away for a rainy day- it is actually *quite* good!

Don’t forget Show and Share Thursday this week- if you have a collection, idea, recipe or blog posting from your own site that you’d like to share, send it to me by Wednesday evening via comments or directly at michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com and I’ll include your submission with my own posting.

Hope your week has gotten off to a great start! Cookie time!

Tags: cookies, weather

Sounds a bit like “show and tell Friday,” doesn’t it?

Why “show and share?” Because kindergartners express themselves in a myriad of ways, and not just through speech. Speaking to peers, teachers, and possibly with the greater public is an important skill to help children develop, but I’m a firm believer in teaching children how to share their information, knowledge, inquiries and interests with their audience, opening up communication with at the very least mimed demonstrations, interpretive dance performances, and of course, two-way dialogue. Even the shyest and most reluctant of speakers have come out of their shells after being allowed to pantomime, display a toy or artwork, or dance to a favorite song in front of their peers.

Why on Thursday? Because I’ve had many parents of my kindergartners email me over the weekend when their kiddos have forgotten their “show and shares” at school on Friday, and my goodness, a weekend is an eternity for five year olds to wait to see their special item again! Having Show and Share on Thursday means that even if an item has been accidentally left at school overnight, it can be remembered and brought home on Friday- happiness all around!

In the spirit of sharing, feel free to submit ideas and links about your favorite things (it would be nice if you provided photos too!) or helpful resources that you think others might enjoy via comments or emailing me (michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com) by Wednesday of each week. I’ll add your contributions and post everything here and here on Thursday.
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Here’s a fun recipe (and quick snack for your sweet tooth) when you’re wanting something sweet, warm, and a little salty too. It’s also easy for kids to make in the classroom if you have a toaster oven and would like a special treat during your snow/winter unit!

Ritz S’mores

Ritz Crackers (I used reduced fat Ritz)
chocolate kisses or chocolate bar pieces
large marshmallows, cut in half

Heat your oven to 350 degrees, use foil or parchment paper on your baking sheet for easy cleanup. Place crackers on sheet, top with chocolate, and marshmallows. Bake (melt) for five to eight minutes (keep an eye on them!), and let cool for three to five minutes before handling. NUMMY!


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For those of you who are wondering what has happened to our home decor since the holidays, let’s just say the following photos are probably as close as we’re going to get to seeing SNOW this month!

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Some links:

Linda was nice enough to leave a comment from Classroom Displays, and of course I’ll be adding the site to my blogroll after seeing the “Where the Wild Things Are” bulletin board! Thanks for sharing!

Honeysuckle Lane is hosting a giveaway in honor of her 100th blog post (my 100th is coming up soon, any ideas on how to commemorate it?) featuring her cards and charms.

Finally, CakeSpy is the newest blog I’ve found where I can blow my virtual diet (I’ve broken a few fingernails trying to grab the goodies off of my computer screen) daily!

Enjoy!

Tags: home decor, links, recipes

What did I tell you?

(Oh, the frosting ended up being chocolate!)

The kids made their sugar cookie batch last night, so I had free reign in the kitchen today, making Toffee Butter Cookies, Pretzel/Rolo/Pecan melts, and my own sugar cookie trees and stars (I know, they didn’t turn out nearly as nice as the cookies the kids made!).

The Toffee Butter Cookie recipe was from a back-issue of Victoria Magazine (2001), and since I couldn’t find it on the new recipe site, here it is:

1 1/2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup English or almond toffee bits
Decorative sugar for rolling

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1-2 minutes). Add flour, baking powder, soda, reduce speed to low. Beat until well mixed (1-2 minutes). Stir in toffee bits.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls (I use a small cookie scoop then roll the balls smooth in my hand) and roll in decorative sugar (I used white/clear). Place two inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet, flatten slightly.

Bake 9-11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (do NOT overbake). Roll again in decorative sugar if desired while warm.
Cool completely.

I discovered the Pretzel/Rolo/Pecan melts referenced on Angry Chicken’s site, but I changed the recipe a bit to accomodate my gas stove (lowered the temp to 350 degrees, used square pretzels only), so if you decide to try them, make sure to do a test batch before unwrapping too many Rolos from their gold wrappers! Oh, and * use parchment paper * on a baking sheet with an edge around it so the pretzels don’t go sliding onto the floor when you take them out of the oven!

Finally, I “cheat” when it comes to sugar cookies, because Betty Crocker makes the BEST mix out there! It’s usually sold in pouches, but can be purchased in a huge box at one of the bulk food stores. You can add flavoring (I added 1/4 tsp mint extract and crushed candy canes to one batch), make drop cookies (and add candies or Hershey’s Kisses while they’re warm), or make cutout cookies.

Of course with these done, I’ll be making Mexican Wedding Cakes (also known as “Russian Tea Cakes”) and possibly some gingerbread cake to round out the bake-fest.

Thank goodness most of these are being given away and mailed out in care packages…’tis the season to wear stretchy jeans, fa la la la laaaa, la la la laaaaaa…

Tags: Christmas, cookies, recipes

Though this year’s holiday decor was inspired by 1) missing Alaska and 2) Target’s faux birch winter decor, I’ve kept a traditional red vignette in one corner of the dining room, and it’s a favorite of my children! With textural pip berries, Shannon’s Mr. and Mrs. Claus shelf-sitters, and various candle votive holders/sticks tucked away into an old tool box, not to mention two more Santas keeping the whole scene company, all I need to do now is bake some gingerbread cookies or cake to get that *smell* of Christmas in the air to complete the effect.

The stand-up felt Santa was purchased by me in Alaska at a holiday bazaar (do they still have the UAF Women’s Bazaar each winter?), the Santa in the basket was a figurine given to me by a former student, the shelf sitters are from Shannon’s Angel Kisses, the faux birch snowflake is from Target, and two of the candle votives were gifts from students, the crystal candlestick from my mother-in-law, and the Russian lacquer cup from my own collection. The white flowing “snow?” An extra curtain sheer we’re not using this year.

See you tomorrow for the next vignette, it’s time for my family to sign Christmas cards! Happy holidays!

Tags: Christmas, home decor

Here’s today’s to-do list (with thanks to Dianne J. Hook, artist of Baxter Bear for Carson-Dellosa Publishing):

Daughter needs cake for a junior high cake walk- she’s taking cupcakes, turkey cupcakes, which explains the candy-corn-after-Halloween on the list…

Anyone who knows me *knows* I’m a cookie person, so I didn’t have to add chocolate chips to the grocery list since I already have them, but here is the latest chocolate chip cookie recipe I’m eager to try, from Smitten Kitchen! Go, go, go to her site. Look, look, look at those cookies! Now wipe the drool off of your keyboard, check your pantry, and let’s start baking! (Isn’t her food photography GREAT?)

The toddler’s daily afternoon nap gives me the opportunity to 1) quickly clean house, 2) answer email, 3) finish those other “domestic goddess” duties and 4) meander through new blogs I’ve found. Cookies will be a nice treat as I read through Indigo Blue’s archive, especially her “Wellness Wednesday” entries, and find some Christmas photocard inspiration at Wendy’s Way before I write the first draft of our family’s holiday letter, an annual addition to our Christmas card mailing.

New to the joys of the BBC (thanks dear toddler for your interest in Postman Pat), but an old fan of Dr. Who, Torchwood has become one of my newest fave shows to record on the dvr. Imagine my surprise when I found THIS “Torchwood” instead of this one!

Just means more reading instead of watching, which isn’t a terrible thing.

Tomorrow’s to-do list can wait until…tomorrow.

Tags: stay at home mom